The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

Nikolayev branch of “Privatbank” handed a claim against the newspaper “Ridne Pribuzhzhia”

19 June 2003. The Nikolayev branch of “Privatbank” handed a claim against the newspaper “Ridne Pribuzhzhia” published by the Nikolayev oblast state administration and the Nikolayev oblast council. “Privatbank” demands 50 thousand hryvnas of compensation for the publication of untrue (in the opinion of the claimant) information disgracing the reputation of the bank. On 1 February 2003 the newspaper published the information about the meeting of the leaders of oblast trade unions with governor Oleksiy Garkusha. “Privatbank” was mentioned in the article twice: as the new owner of the plant “Kristal”, with the appearance of which the reduction of the staff was expected at the plant, and as the bank, which obtruded the system of plastic cards for paying salaries to the personnel of the Zhovtnevy central district hospital of the Nikolayev. The article read that the services of the bank would cost 130 thousand hryvnas to the hospital. The administration of “Privatbank” insists that the bank has no relation with the plant “Kristal”, and that the production and maintenance of the plastic cards are gratis for the hospital.

Tetiana Odintsova, the editor-in-chief of “Ridne Pribuzhzhia”, communicated to the IMI that the information spread by the newspaper was given by the trade union leaders of the plant “Kristal” and the Zhovtnevy hospital. On 20 June these leaders will be summoned to court as witnesses. The Nikolayev branch of “Privatbank” handed the claim to court on 6 March 2003. Two considerations of the case have been already conducted.

The Institute of mass information, “Barometr svobody slova”, June 2003